Shloka 4
Bhīṣma’s Hymn to Viṣṇu and Kṛṣṇa’s Criteria for Divine Self-Disclosure
नमस्ते त्रिषु लोकेषु नमस्ते परतस्त्रिषु । योगेश्वर नमस्ते<स्तु त्वं हि सर्वपरायण:,तीनों लोकोंमें व्याप्त हुए आपको नमस्कार है। तीनों गुणोंसे अतीत आपको प्रणाम है। योगेश्वर! आपको नमस्कार है। आप ही सबके परम आधार हैं
namas te triṣu lokeṣu namas te paratas triṣu | yogeśvara namas te 'stu tvaṁ hi sarvaparāyaṇaḥ ||
Bhishma offers reverent salutations: “I bow to You who pervade the three worlds; I bow to You who transcend the three guṇas. O Lord of Yoga (Yogeshvara), I bow to You. You alone are the supreme refuge and support of all beings.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True dharma is anchored in recognizing a supreme principle that pervades the cosmos yet transcends the three guṇas; devotion and surrender to that highest refuge (sarvaparāyaṇa) orient ethical life beyond mere worldly success.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma—teaching after the war—utters a hymn-like salutation, addressing the Lord as all-pervading across the three worlds and as the transcendent master of yoga, establishing a devotional and metaphysical foundation for the instruction that follows.